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SFDC Vibrant Streets Summit
Wednesday, Sept. 25, 20138:00 - 10:00 amHampton Inn & Suites5821 Richmond HighwayAlexandria, VA 22303 RSVP |
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| Did You Know? | |
There are four frozen yogurt establishments along Richmond Highway. Have you spotted them all?
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Greetings!
Hope you had a great Labor Day weekend! Enjoy this edition of SFDC's monthly newsletter featuring the latest news and updates from the Richmond Highway corridor.
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New Businesses Open on Richmond Highway
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Costco and Evolution Home
The Richmond Highway Costco store officially opened on Thursday, August 8 at a special time: before 8:00 am. A short ribbon-cutting ceremony was held, and then the dignitaries had to quickly get out of the way or risk injury from eager customers and their shopping carts.
 | | SFDC Board President Walter Clarke with Delegate Mark Sickles |
A preview reception was held the night before, where 1,400 members of the community mingled and enjoyed the wonderful food and company. Hot and cold hors d'oeuvres, salmon, chicken, beef, and many, many desserts were served. Costco staff presented all sorts of cakes and pies to the guests. The store was fully stocked, but no shopping was allowed at the preview - the registers were even wrapped in plastic. Cathy Wanklin, Costco's Regional Manager, said she has hosted 72 opening receptions, and she has thoroughly enjoyed every one.
Costco's business model is a bit different from the usual retailer. Goods are generally purchased in large sizes at discount prices. Costco makes its money by selling memberships, which are required in order to shop at the store. Three types of membership are offered, with annual costs of $55.00 to $110.00. For more information on memberships, check out Costco's website here.
Evolution Home is the new name of a relocated Delray antique center, which opened in August at the corner of Richmond Highway and Shields Ave. Painted bright green, with a chair "evolving" from old to new on the corner, the building stands out. Formerly an appliance store, the building's interior contained kitchen and bath vignettes. Evolution Home's owner, Lee Blount, says these little rooms are perfect when remodeled as spaces for his individual antique dealers.
A tour of the large space provides a fascinating glimpse into elegant living, featuring furniture, rugs, vases, paintings, dishes and glassware, as well as personal items such as ties and jewelry. In addition to the store, a consignment area is opening soon and the owner's staging business will be consolidated here from its current Fordson Road location.
Mr. Blount's wife and business partner, Susan Driscoll, is collecting memorabilia for a display on the bowling alley history of the building. If you have any old bowling souvenirs that you are willing to lend, please bring them by.
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You Speak Out
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Richmond Highway Wayfinding Signs
Thanks to those who have given us feedbac k on the new Wayfinding signs. We appreciate your taking the time to tell us what you think!
Feedback is certainly mixed, but falls into a few notable categories. By and large, business people "get" the signs. They understand that the signs help create a sense of place and differentiate the six Community Business Centers (CBCs).
Shorter-term residents of the area like the signs, too. Several people who have lived in the area from two to ten years said that the Wayfinding signs help them remember where they are on Richmond Highway, because things can look so much alike. The signs assist them in re-finding businesses they like and describing to others the location of their latest shopping excursion. Others said the destination signs give them a sense of the relative proportion of the CBCs along the corridor.
Longer-term residents tend to view the signs as a wasted effort. They know well where everything is located, and have no need of signs to identify the CBCs.
There is one more round of Wayfinding signs to go. Woodlawn and Gum Springs gateway signs and several directional signs will be erected in the future. The number of new signs will depend on how many the remaining funds will be able to buy.
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"Hidden" Businesses Series
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 How do YOU find a business?
The eatery Mamma's Kitchen has been open on Fordson Road since 2009. That's right, Fordson Road, not Richmond Highway. In fact, the Mamma's small shopping center has its back to the highway, with other businesses in between. With such a location, how does this restaurant stay in business, let alone enjoy a robust clientele?
Marianna Johnnides, the owner of Mamma's, says it's all in the networking. She started with ValPak coupons, and still uses them occasionally. Now she maintains an active Facebook page and asks her customers to review the restaurant on Yelp. Mamma's Kitchen also has become better known by donating food to school fundraisers and United Community Ministries (UCM) events.
Waiter Dustin Hess lives in the area and used to be just a customer. In his opinion, word of mouth is of paramount importance to bringing in new customers.
Marianna says that Mamma's Kitchen works hard to provide the high quality food and service that attracts customers and keeps them coming back.
Although the address of Ali Baba Groceries and Halal Meat is 6701 Richmond Highway, the store's physical location is around the corner on Beddoo Street in the Groveton area. In fact, the store is located right across the street from the SFDC office.
Owner Masum Ahmed purchased the store as an ongoing business about three years ago. Originally from Bangladesh, Mr. Ahmed stocks his small space with food from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, including spices, rice, flour, lentils, marinades and meats.
A simple Google search brings many new customers to Ali Baba, and social media marketing includes a Facebook page. At first, Mr. Ahmed advertised to local mosques, but now he finds that customers find him. Because the store is stocked with authentic international groceries, Ali Baba attracts much word-of-mouth business.
When your business location is tucked away, it pays to have a local and loyal clientele. Check out next month's "Hidden Business" section featuring more stores that have found innovative ways to bring in business.
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Water Main Replacement
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 | | fcwa.org |
What are those bulldozers doing in several locations on the east side of Richmond Highway? They are working on replacing the water main from Spring Drive to Quander Road.
This is the second phase of the Fairfax Water capital project to replace the aging cast iron water main with a new one made of stronger, longer lasting materials that are less prone to cracks and breaks. The work on this phase should be complete this fall.
If you would like to learn more about the water main construction on Richmond Highway, please click here. For additional questions, feel free to email the Fairfax Water engineers at [email protected] or call Chief Construction Engineer Jerry Scott at 703-289-6351.
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Transportation Studies Abound
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 Fairfax County and the Commonwealth of Virginia are each conducting studies that could affect the Richmond Highway area.
The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (VDRPT) is running a "Multimodal Transportation Alternatives Analysis" to consider different types of transit along Richmond Highway from the Capital Beltway to Route 123 in Woodbridge. The first community meeting for this study is scheduled for October 9 at 6:00 pm at the South County Government Center, 8350 Richmond Highway.
The other Virginia study is the ongoing "Super NoVa Transit/TDM Action Plan" which covers a broad area extending south to Caroline County and west to the West Virginia border. More study details may be found here.
Three potential Bus Transit Center sites are being considered for Richmond Highway by Fairfax County: Dart Drive, Hybla Valley Center, and Buckman Road (South County Government Center). A community meeting to discuss the feasibility study will be held Wednesday, September 18 at 6:30 pm at the South County Government Center.
Fairfax County's "Countywide Transit Network Study" has tentatively recommended light rail for Richmond Highway, but final results are due later this year. More information.
The "Countywide Dialogue on Transportation" is a study with the potential of actual money for construction. Although the available funding falls short of the needs, with the county's share of new Virginia transportation taxes from HB 2313, the shortfall is reduced. The proposed six-year project list will be released in early September, and county staff will hold four regional community meetings between mid-September and mid-November. Check out the webpage for this effort to learn more.
In addition, there will be two public hearings on the Fort Belvoir-related improvements to Route 1. The first, September 11, 6-9 pm at the South County Government Center, will cover Cook Inlet Drive to Belvoir Station Road. A future meeting will address the remainder of the project.
So much transportation! SFDC has created a Transit Studies page to keep track of these studies and more, all on one site.
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SFDC Announces Third Speaker
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September 25 Vibrant Streets Summit
 | | travelblog.org |
A thriving retail street is a community's core. It is mixed-use, safe, fun, walkable and unified. It is a destination for shoppers, families, friends and date nights. How does a street like this come to life, and how does it stay that way? Come learn about the future of vibrant streets and discuss exciting possibilities for the Richmond Highway Area.
Speakers will include Steve Bannister of Capital Investment Advisors, Heather Arnold of streetsense and John Tschiderer of Federal Realty Investment Trust. Coffee and continental breakfast will be served. We look forward to seeing you there!
Vibrant Streets Summit
Wednesday, September 25, 2013, 8AM - 10AM
Hampton Inn & Suites, 5821 Richmond Highway
Alexandria, VA 22303
RSVP
Thank you to our breakfast sponsor Cooley LLP and host sponsor Vik Patel at Hampton Inn & Suites.
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